Countless times throughout any given day we depend upon light. We turn on light switches, headlights, lamps, and flashlights. We rely upon the sunlight for health, food, and safety. Without light, our world would be turned upside down. For those without the spiritual light of Christ, their world is turned upside down. They attempt to find solutions, direction, and purpose. But their efforts are pitiful at best. That’s where you and I enter the scene. Providing light is precisely what a Christian is supposed to do. The power company provides the power for physical light, but God expects you and I to provide the spiritual light our neighbors so desperately need. Are we fulfilling our job? It’s dark out there! Who this week has benefited from the light of Jesus Christ you brought into their life? Pastor Dale Montgomery

Everywhere we look we see the handiwork of God’s creation. Look up and behold the innumerable stars in the heavens. Look around at the diverse geography and animal life on our planet. Look down into the tiny world of insects crawling under foot. Look through the microscope into the world of micro organisms. Look within the complex human body and be amazed. There is no place that we can look and honestly believe came into existence through random, accidental chance. The popular lie of evolution is blindly accepted and taught as truth. Secular universities proclaim it. Public schools promote it. Books, magazines, and television shows publish it. But, as a Christian, we must preach against it. Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen…” Those who choose to put their faith in the lie of evolution are living in denial of what is clearly seen around them. Every design has a designer. Every engine has an engineer. Every plan has a planner. Every creation has a Creator! Pastor Dale Montgomery

Music and singing have always been a hallmark of God’s people. After all, if anyone has something worth singing about, it’s the child of God! 2000 years after Christ founded His church, we are still singing. We sing not because we face no hardship or experience no heartache. We sing and worship God because it’s what we were created to do. That’s why Satan has worked overtime to silence the praises of God’s people. But, if he cannot silence us, then he will sell us the lie that God can be worshiped however we please. Rap, rock, or hip hop. The choice is ours. The Devil reassures us that God is somehow glorified through the sensual dance and indecent dress of gifted performers. The golden calf in the church today is worldly worship. Gullible Christians are quickly enamored by the cool drum beat, strobing lights, and swaying bodies. However, each of these things are cheap imitations of the power of the Holy Spirit. True worship doesn’t hype, it humbles. True worship reflects the holiness of God, not the worldliness unbelievers. Music is not about what pleases myself, but what pleases my Savior. True worship is anything but dull, lifeless, and routine. True, Holy Spirit-filled worship overflows with gratitude, surrender, humility, and sincerity. It prepares us to take action, and respond in obedience to God’s word. -Pastor Dale Montgomery

I love the variety of seasons throughout each year, and I am so thankful for how God designed our world with such diversity of climate and geography. The truth is, life and change seem to go together. For the Christian, however, there are somethings that should never change. As a Christian in the first century under the Roman Empire, a young man named Timothy was often faced with the temptation to change from preaching God’s word because people were offended by it and it was unpopular. The admonishing words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy give us a fresh reminder to continue to faithfully proclaim God’s timeless Word regardless of the season: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2) Pastor Dale Montgomery

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thankfulness to God for all that He accomplished through our missions conference this past week. It was truly a blessing to see our church family’s faithfulness and enthusiasm towards worldwide missions. So many of you sacrificed a great deal to make this past week a success. God is always faithful to remember your work and labor of love. Your love and interest in each of our guest missionaries was so evident throughout the conference. Always remember that the blessing of God upon our church is directly related to our commitment to reaching the lost with the Gospel. Keep up the great work! -Pastor Dale Montgomery

The life and ministry of Jesus Christ was characterized by service. Mark 10:42 “Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Our Lord did not come to earth to serve himself, but to serve others. As missionaries at home and abroad, we are called to adopt the same servant’s heart as Christ. It’s exciting to be involved in something so much bigger than ourselves, and I believe that worldwide missions work is the opportunity of a lifetime. Just imagine what God could accomplish through missions with local churches filled with believers who faithfully followed the servant-hearted example of Christ – the servant of all. -Pastor Dale Montgomery

Hurricanes and Savannah seem to go together. Last year it was Hurricane Matthew. This year it’s Irma. What a relief to know that the Lord controls the storm. Proverbs 21:31 tells us, “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” This verse reminds us that it is our responsibility to prepare, and it is God’s responsibility to protect. As we wait in anticipation of how Hurricane Irma will impact our area, we can rest assured that God will follow through with His part. Our job is to prepare. Stay informed. Stock up on supplies. Follow your local city officials instructions. Trust in the Lord. -Pastor Dale Montgomery

The best news that anyone in this world can hear is the good news of salvation! What a joy to know that our sins are completely forgiven, and when this temporal life is over we have an eternal home in Heaven awaiting us! How sad that so few people have this wonderful hope. So many are blinded by empty religious rituals and by the notion that if their good works outweigh their bad, they will earn the right to be in Heaven. Others are deceived into believing that Heaven, Hell, and God are mere myths. Eternal life cannot be gained any other way except through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. In light of Jesus’ soon coming, may we compassionately and continually share the good news of the gospel with those around us.

I am excited about the Marriage Enrichment Seminar our church is hosting this coming Saturday, August 26. Our guest speaker is Dr. Dan Reed, who has been in ministry for more than 40 years. Dr. Reed married his high school sweetheart, Donna, and they have five children and nine grandchildren. Whether you are in the honeymoon stage of your marriage or have been married for decades, this Marriage Enrichment Seminar will equip you with practical truths from God’s Word that will safeguard your home. Marriages are crumbling like never before, and we must do all that we can to fortify our own hearts and homes from Satan’s subtle attacks. Satan destroys homes by redefining marriage, by promising fulfillment through pornography, by planting roots of bitterness between spouses, by causing us to consider adultery acceptable, and by convincing us that our marriage needs no improvement. Prevention is always the best form of protection. By equipping our minds and hearts with biblical truths, we can have a strong, thriving, happy marriage that honors God. Rachel and I look forward to seeing you there! -Pastor Dale Montgomery

Happy seventh anniversary to Savannah River Baptist Church! It hardly seems possible that our church is turning seven years old. Following God’s leading, Rachel and I moved to the Savannah, Georgia area, and we held our first church service in the banquet room of a nearby hotel in August of 2010. For the first several years our Wednesday midweek Bible study was held in the living room of our town home. In 2014, God miraculously answered the prayers of our church family by giving us 30.1 acres of land at the unbelievable price of $57,000. Over the past seven years, we have seen many people trust Christ as their Savior and follow the Lord in believer’s baptism. We have actively worked at knocking on doors and spreading the gospel throughout the greater Savannah community. The Lord has steadily added many wonderful people to our church throughout the past seven years and it has been a joy to be co-laborers together in the work of the Lord. Last year we held our very first service in our first building. To God be the glory! Savannah River Baptist Church has a bright future and, by God’s grace, we will continue to follow the pattern found in Acts 5:42, “they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

The innkeeper in the Christmas story lacked hospitality. Unlike the wise men who traveled from afar to see the Lord Jesus, the baby Jesus was brought to his very doorstep. Did he role out the red carpet? Did he prepare the best bed or spread out the softest blankets? Sadly, no. He was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to welcome God in human flesh into the world and he blew it. The innkeeper was supposed to be the hospitality expert. He of all people was prepared to make the arrival of Jesus comfortable, but he was more concerned about padding his own wallet. So, what was his problem? It's the same problem we all must battle this Christmas: distraction. Distraction doesn't just rob us of the ability to focus, it robs us of the ability to focus on the right thing. It wasn't that he was not focused on serving; he was focused on serving everyone but Christ. Like Martha, he was cumbered about with much serving. Simply put; he was just too distracted. Don't imitate the character of the innkeeper this Christmas season. Determine to protect your mind and time from becoming distracted from the real reason for Christmas. -Pastor Dale Montgomery ...

Not a day goes by that we don't stand in front of a mirror to inspect our appearance. But could you imagine, after looking at yourself in a mirror, and noticing all of the wild hairs and blemishes, only to rush out the door without making any changes to our appearance? How embarrassing! Did you know the Bible compares itself to a mirror? The unique thing about the mirror of God's Word is that it not only reflects who we are on the outside, but it also reveals our character on the inside. James 1:23 "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass [mirror]:" We would never dream of starting our day without looking into a mirror and correcting ourselves. But how often do we rush into another day or another week unchanged from God's Word? Do we care that we are acceptable in God sight? What good is a mirror unless we are willing to admit to our blemishes and correct them? Will you be honest with God, and allow the Holy Spirit to make some changes in your life? After all, every change is only for our good. -Pastor Dale Montgomery ...

When Solomon was made king of Israel, he was blessed with a rare opportunity by God to ask for whatever he wanted. If you could have the same opportunity, what would you choose? Is more wealth your greatest need? Better health? A better retirement plan? Closer friendships? Solomon could have chosen anything, but he chose wisdom. The Bible says in the book of 2 Chronicles 9:23, "And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put into his heart." Whether you are a ruler or in retail, you need wisdom. If you are a teacher or a technician. A public official or a plumber, wisdom is your greatest need. This week you and I will face numerous decisions. Some of them will be large and important and some of them will be tiny and seemingly insignificant. As followers of Jesus Christ, every decision we make is important. That's why every decision that we make this week should be put through the filter of this question: "Is it wise?" Asking this question helps us to distinguish between what is merely good, and what is best. This week, let's choose to walk in wisdom.Pastor Dale Montgomery ...